Sports boards with reclaimed structures

ABSTRACT

A sports board incorporating reclaimed/reused sports board materials, and a method of making a such a sports board, allows for incorporation of portions of used (recycled) composite sports boards (or waste from the manufacture thereof) into new sports boards. This lessens the accumulation of composite sports board waste in the global environment, reduces the quantity of new virgin materials needed in the manufacture of new composite sports boards, and lessens the environmental impact of composite sports board manufacture and use. Optionally, the reclaimed sports board material may be incorporated into a new sports board in a manner providing structural enhancements (e.g., increased regional stiffness) to new sports boards. This may allow for structural enhancement while avoiding a significant increase in sports board weight, by incorporating used composite materials into new composite sports boards.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/315,359, filedMar. 1, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to composite sports boards, suchas snowboards, skis, gliding boards, splitboards, kiteboards,wakeboards, and composite skateboards (all collectively referred toherein as a “sports boards” for ease of reference), and moreparticularly, to sports boards having reclaimed portions, sports boardshaving structural enhancements, and a method of manufacturing suchsports boards.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Snowboards, skis, gliding boards, splitboards, kiteboards, wakeboards,composite skateboards and other composite sports boards (collectively,“sports boards”) and the like are commonly manufactured in a processthat involves joining together a plurality of individual layers into aunitary laminated composite sports board body.

A composite sports board is a multi-layer laminated structure made up oflayers of different materials. The different materials have differentmaterial properties, in order to address strength, performance,durability, flex, aesthetics and weight. For example, such compositesports boards typically include structural fiberglass/carbon/Kevlar/etc.layers, laminated to the top and bottom side of a core (e.g., wood,foam, honeycomb, etc.) with an adhesive such as epoxy or polyurethane.

Generally, the outer layers (top and bottom) of commercially-availablecomposite sports boards are a thin plastic sheet designed to carry thegraphics/decoration (such as fiberglass or nylon), and/or is alow-friction layer (such as UHMW or HDPE polyethylene, for example),and/or has a “clear coat,” none of which has material properties thatare susceptible (e.g., well-suited) to forming a reliable adhesive bondbecause of the material properties of such surfaces. Additionally, theclear coat layer may or may not have a reliable bond to the top or basematerial. In the case of a snowboard, the base layer is nearly always alow friction material which is waxed by the user to increase the glideperformance on the snow, making it very difficult to bond to. Thesurface material and surface finish of the outer layers (top and base)of these composite sports boards vary widely, but generally, they willnot form a reliable bond to other layers with adhesive.

As a representative example of composite sports board manufacture, oneconventional method of making snowboards uses a mold/cassette made froma relatively thick aluminum plate that has a cavity shaped to correspondto the desired finished shape of the snowboard to be manufactured. In atypical construction, a base layer of the snowboard is placed in themold and then separate snowboard edge members (typically steel or brass)are placed in the mold at the outer perimeter, if desired. Typically,epoxy resin is then supplied into the mold (e.g., by brushing/paintingon the epoxy) to wet the base layer and edge members. Layers offiberglass (or carbon fiber, Kevlar, basalt, flax or other compositefibers) wet with resin are then laid into the mold. A core, pre-cuttypically from wood, is then laid on top in the mold and more epoxyresin is supplied into the mold on the core, and then at least one morelayer of fiberglass, etc. is laid on top of the core. More epoxy is thenapplied to the added layer(s) of fiberglass, etc., and a top sheet layer(which may have decorative graphics that will be the visible top layerof the finished snowboard) is laid on the top in the mold. The mold withthe assembly of layers and epoxy resin therein is then cured in aconventional molding process that fixes the layers together in alaminated structure. By way of example, suitable conventional moldingprocesses include a compression molding process, in which the mold istypically placed in a press under elevated temperature and pressure tocure the resin, or using an infusion or vacuum bagging process. Anysuitable molding process may be used, as will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art. As part of the molding process, the layers of thesnowboard are often provided with a flat, 3-D camber, rocker or hybrid(combined) side profile (e.g., an upward and/or downward curve of acentral portion of the snowboard, as viewed from the side), an upwardcurve of the nose (as viewed from the side), and/or an upward curve ofthe tail (as viewed from the side), etc. The molding process serves topermanently bond together the multiple individual layers of thesnowboard structure, and form a unitary laminated snowboard assemblystructure.

When the cured assembly is removed from the mold, the product is veryrough. Additional finishing steps are typically required to form thefinished snowboard product from the final snowboard assembly that exitsthe mold/press. The finishing process is very labor intensive.Typically, a band saw is first used to cut the fiberglass and epoxy thathas squeezed out between the laminated snowboard layers. Then, many(e.g., up to twenty) sanding processes are typically used to place thebase layer/bottom surface of the boards in a final finished state. Thisinvolves the removal of material from the cured assembly to compensatefor local concavities and/or convexities resulting from the assembly ofvarious parts, epoxy “squeeze-through” to the bottom surface of thesnowboard, and irregularities in the layers and/or resulting from thepressing/curing process that prevent the cured board assembly fromhaving a flat bottom surface that has a desirable level of smoothness,continuity of curvature or other shape, consistency in surface and/orthickness, etc. free from unintended local concavity, convexity and/orother irregularities resulting from the manufacturing process(collectively referred to herein as “surface consistency”).

Conventional finishing equipment is designed to sand (e.g., using asanding belt) or grind (e.g., using a grinding stone) the bottom of aboard flat, as viewed in transverse cross-section, relative to adirection of elongation of the snowboard. Accordingly, there is acertain amount of loss or waste of virgin materials used to produce asnowboard (or other composite sports board) as the natural result of thesports board manufacturing process.

Additionally, composite sports boards typically have a relativelylimited lifespan that is shorter than a user's typical length ofparticipation in the sport. Accordingly, a single sports boarder orother user is likely to outlast a single sports board, and to ownmultiple sports boards during a span of years of participation in thesport. Sports boards may be outgrown, damaged over time, becomeoutdated, or simply fall out of favor, with the result that many sportsboards are discarded as trash, and find their way to a landfill orsimilar site, with a resulting loss or waste of their componentmaterials, and an undesirable effect of additional accumulated waste inthe global environment.

Further, it is recognized that sports boards may be constructed toprovide desired performance characteristics, e.g., to suit variousdifferent purposes. Generally, a relatively lighter-weight sports boardis desirable. In certain cases, greater sports board stiffness isdesired, either over an entire sports board area, or in selected regionsof the sports board. Increased stiffness often comes from the use of agreater volume of sports board materials, which undesirably increasessports board weight.

What is needed is a method of manufacturing sports boards that allowsfor use of used composite sports boards to lessen the accumulation ofwaste in the global environment, and/or that provides for structuralenhancements (e.g., increased regional stiffness) while avoiding asignificant increase in sports board weight.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a sports board, and a method of making asports board. The method of making a sports board allows forincorporation of portions of used (recycled) composite sports boards (orwaste from the manufacture thereof) into new sports boards, to lessenthe accumulation of composite sports board waste in the globalenvironment, and reduce the quantity of new virgin materials needed inthe manufacture of new composite sports boards, to lessen theenvironmental impact of composite sports board manufacture and use.Additionally, the present invention provides a method that allows formodification to provide structural enhancements (e.g., increasedregional stiffness) to new sports boards while avoiding a significantincrease in sports board weight, by way of incorporation of compositematerials into new composite sports boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

An understanding of the following description will be facilitated byreference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary sports board (snowboard)constructed to include core panel inserts in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are side and rear views, respectively of the exemplarysnowboard of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 2C is a transverse cross-section, taken along line 2C-2C of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an exemplary used snowboard showingexemplary cut lines for material reclamation purposes in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are top plan and side views, respectively, of anexemplary nose or tail portion of the snowboard of FIG. 3 ;

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate an exemplary lamination of plurality of snowboardportions of FIG. 4A to form an exemplary reclaimed block blank inaccordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an exemplary gang sawing surface preparationprocess for preparing reclaimed snowboard portions for lamination toform an exemplary reclaimed block blank in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGS. 7A-7B are perspective and enlarged views, respectively, of anexemplary prepared reclaimed snowboard portion prepared by the exemplarygang sawing surface preparation process of FIGS. 6A-6B;

FIGS. 8A-8B are perspective and enlarged side views, respectively, of aplurality of exemplary prepared reclaimed snowboard portions of FIGS.7A-7B, shown positioned abutted against one another to form an exemplaryreclaimed block blank in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate an exemplary laser etching surface preparationprocess for preparing reclaimed snowboard portions for lamination toform an exemplary reclaimed block blank in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of an exemplary reclaimed block blankformed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an exemplary reclaimed core panelformed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of an exemplary reclaimed core panel, showinghow exemplary core inserts may be formed from the reclaimed core panelin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of an exemplary core of a snowboard, showingan exemplary incorporation of the exemplary core inserts of FIG. 11 intothe exemplary core, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 13A-13C are top plan and perspective views of an alternativeexemplary core of a snowboard, showing an alternative exemplaryincorporation of exemplary core inserts into the exemplary core, inaccordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 14A-14C are top plan, bottom plan, and cross-sectional views,respectively, of another alternative exemplary core of a snowboard,showing another alternative exemplary incorporation of exemplaryfull-depth core inserts into the exemplary core, in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIGS. 15A-15D are top plan, bottom plan, and cross-sectional views,respectively, of yet another alternative exemplary core of a snowboard,showing yet another alternative exemplary incorporation of exemplarypartial-depth core inserts into the exemplary core, in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the component elements of theexemplary snowboard of FIGS. 1-3 , shown in relation to exemplarytooling for manufacturing the snowboard of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the snowboard assembly 90 andtooling of FIG. 16 ;

FIGS. 18A-18L are top plan views of alternative exemplary snowboardcores constructed to include core inserts in accordance with analternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 19A-19F are top plan views of alternative exemplary cores 300constructed to include core inserts in accordance with anotheralternative exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 20A-20D are top plan views of alternative exemplary coresconstructed to include core inserts extending fully between oppositeedges of a core, in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodimentof the present invention; and

FIGS. 21A and 21B are top plan views of alternative exemplary coresconstructed to include one or more core inserts forming an entire corelayer, in accordance with another alternative exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a novel method of manufacture ofsnowboards, skis, gliding boards, splitboards, kiteboards, wakeboards,composite skateboards and other composite sports boards (collectivelyreferred to herein as “sports boards” in non-limiting fashion, for easeof reference only) that allows for use of used composite sports boardsand/or used composite sports board materials to lessen the accumulationof waste in the global environment, and/or that provides for structuralenhancements (e.g., increased regional stiffness) while avoiding asignificant increase in sports board weight.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2C, an exemplary snowboard-type sports board100 constructed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. In certain respects, the exemplary snowboard100 has a generally conventional construction, in that it has a bodythat is elongated in the longitudinal direction (Y-direction, as shownin FIG. 1 ), and has a central portion 12, nose portion 14 and a tailportion 16. The snowboard may bend in the longitudinal direction, e.g.,to provide a camber, rocker, or hybrid profile, and/or in the transversedirection.

Further, consistent with conventional snowboard construction, thesnowboard 100 includes an outer edge 40, which may be constructed ofsteel, brass, etc., as known in the art. Longitudinally-extendingportions of the outer edge 40 are defined at least along each side ofthe central section 12 of the board. Further still, consistent withconventional snowboard construction, the snowboard 100 includes a core300, which may be constructed of wood, polyurethane foam or other knowncore materials. The exemplary core 300 extends the full width of thesnowboard except for the width of the sidewall members 24.

Further still, consistent with conventional snowboard construction, thecore 300 is sandwiched between top and bottom reinforcement layers 32,34, which abut the upper and lower surfaces of the core 300 and becomeimpregnated with adhesive that is cured during manufacture to providestructural reinforcement to the core 300 and finished snowboard 100, asknown in the art. The top and bottom reinforcement layers 32, 34 may beconstructed of any conventional material used for this purpose, such asfiberglass, graphite or Kevlar/carbon fibers arranged in a fabric or mat(such as a 700 gsm biaxial fiberglass mat). Further still, consistentwith conventional snowboard construction, the top reinforcement layer 32is overlain by a top sheet 37, which is typically imprinted or otherwiseprovided with decorative graphics that provide the finished snowboardproduct with its desired finished appearance. The top sheet 37 may beformed of any conventional material known for use for this purpose, suchas a polyethylene, urethane, acrylic, Nylon™/polyamide, polybutyleneterephthalate, ABS/TPU, a wood veneer, a separate and additionalpre-cured fiberglass layer, the top reinforcement layer itself acting asa top sheet, a titanal/aluminum alloy material layer, etc. Accordingly,in some embodiments, a separate/additional top sheet layer may beexcluded from the finished snowboard. In any event, the finishedsnowboard includes a plurality of layers permanently bonded togetherinto a unitary lamination.

Still further, consistent with conventional snowboard construction, thesnowboard 100 further includes a base layer 38. The base layer 38 has alower surface 39 that is the running surface that abuts the snow,ground, etc., and thus is typically formed of a durable low-frictionmaterial, an example of which include ultra-high molecular weightpolyethylene. The base layer 38 may be formed of any suitable material,such as polyethylene or other materials preferred of their low-frictionproperties. As known in the art, the base layer 38 may be made from atransparent material that can be printed (screen printed, sublimated ordirect digital printed, e.g., on the bonding side) to add graphics.Further, the base layer 39 may be die-cut with different colored orprinted base material pieces insert into the die-cut areas to create aninlaid graphic/design. This latter configuration in particular issusceptible to adhesive migrating through the joints between the piecesin the layer, and the parts may have different thickness and/or sit outof plane/not flush, which creates an uneven bottom surface particularlyin need of sanding/grinding after pressing/curing, to provide adesirably consistent bottom surface.

This exemplary embodiment has a base surface 39 that is flat (i.e.,generally visibly flat as described above, without significant and/ordeliberate convex or concave curvature, or other intended non-flatprofile in the vertical/Z-direction) in a direction transverse to thedirection of elongation (the X-direction, as shown in FIG. 1 ), as knownin the art, and as best shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. It will be appreciatedthat in other embodiments, the base surface 39 may be non-flat, and thusmay have significant and/or deliberate convex or concave curvature, oranother intended non-flat profile in the vertical/Z-direction (in adirection transverse to the direction of elongation, namely, theX-direction, as shown in FIG. 1 ).

In accordance with the present invention, the snowboard includes atleast one core insert. Preferably, the core insert is included in thecore 300 layer of the snowboard, at least in part, although the coreinsert may be incorporated into and/or span other layers. In certainembodiments, the core insert is disposed selectively to provide adesired structural enhancement, e.g., to increase or decrease thestiffness or other properties of the core 300 and resulting snowboard100 including the core, and/or to provide a desired appearance. Incertain embodiments, the core insert is formed from reclaimed snowboardmaterials, e.g., in accordance with the reclamation method describedherein. In certain embodiments, the core insert is formed as amulti-layer lamination and is disposed in the core 300 to have itslamination direction oriented transversely to that of a laminationdirection of the remainder of the layers of the snowboard 100, e.g., toprovide a stiffening effect in the region of the core insert. Notably,the stiffening (or other) effect associated with the core insert may beprovided only in a regional/localized area (namely the region/area ofthe core insert) such that the material properties of the sportsboard/core associated with the material properties in the region of thecore insert (because of the different materials and/or layerorientation) are different from those of the area/region (e.g. in thesame layer) adjacent the core insert, to provide forhighly-selectable/highly-tunable core and/or sports board properties,performance and/or effects.

As referred to above, materials other than reclaimed snowboard materialsmay be used as core inserts and be incorporated into new snowboards inaccordance with the present invention. Preferably, however, core insertsare constructed from reclaimed sports board material to reduceenvironmental waste and reduce the need for virgin materials inproducing new sports boards, and to reduce the overall carbon footprintfor sports board products. A method for reclaiming sports boardmaterials from used/existing sports boards so they may be used inproducing new sports boards is described below with reference to FIGS.3-15 .

Referring now to FIG. 3 , an exemplary used snowboard-type sports board200 is shown. The snowboard may be of any conventional construction. Asis typical of many snowboards per se, the exemplary used snowboard 200includes internal layers that may include one or more of wood,fiberglass, carbon fiber and other materials typically used insnowboards bonded to and sandwiched between a low friction base layer onthe bottom (such as polyethylene), and a durable, often decorative, topsheet on the top (such as a nylon top sheet), and often between edgestypically made of metal (or alternatively, of carbon fiber, fiberglass,ceramic materials, etc.). Not all of these materials and/or componentsare well-suited for reclamation and re-used, at least substantially intheir current form, which poses problems associated with reclamation,such as how to incorporate reclaimed materials into a new snowboard withreliable bonding providing a reliable snowboard structured as anintegral unit. These problems are addressed by the reclamation methoddescribed herein.

The exemplary method involves gathering a plurality of sports boards(which may be gliding boards, such as snowboards, skis, splitboards,kiteboards, wakeboards, composite skateboards and other composite sportsboards). It may be advantageous to process similar types of sportsboards together as a set. From each of a set of sports boards, themethod involves removing the edges from each sports board, if theyinclude edges. Referring again to FIG. 3 , an exemplary first cut (CutLine 1) around a periphery of the used sports board 200, to remove metaland/or plastic edge components 205, is shown. In other embodiments,new/virgin materials may be used to form core inserts as substitutes forthe plurality of sports boards, although in such embodiments waste maynot be avoided and materials may not be reused as is the case in otherembodiments.

Next, the exemplary method involves cutting each of one or more sportsboards into one or more slabs. Preferably, the cuts are organized sothat one or more slabs of similar sizes and shapes can be gathered fromone or more sports boards, such that sets of slabs of similar size andshape can be matched together and laminated to form a block blank thatcan then be used as sheet stock for creating core inserts that can beincorporated into the cores of new sports boards, as discussed ingreater detail below. Referring again to FIG. 3 , exemplary second andthird cuts (Cut Lines 2 and 3) separate the nose (A) and tail (E)portions from a central portion of the sports board 200. One or both ofthe nose and tail slabs 210, 212 may be curved in the longitudinal orother directions, and it may be advantageous, for example, to group noseslabs from more than one sports board, or nose slabs and tail slabs frommore than one sports board, to form a single reclaimed block blank,depending upon their three-dimensional sizes/shapes.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , exemplary fourth and fifth cuts (Cut Lines 4and 5) separate the lateral portions (B) and (D) from a central portion(C) of a remaining portion of the sports board 200. It may beadvantageous, for example, to group lateral portion slabs 214, 216 fromone or more sports boards to form a single reclaimed block blank,depending upon their three-dimensional sizes/shapes.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , exemplary sixth and seventh cuts (Cut Lines6 and 7) separate the binding insert portions from a central portion (C)of a remaining portion of the sports board 200. The inserts aretypically metal and may be recycled or reused, and the binding insertportions 220 a, 220 b may be discarded. It may be advantageous, forexample, to group central portion slabs 218 from more than one sportsboard to form a single reclaimed block blank, depending upon theirthree-dimensional sizes/shapes.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are top plan and side views, respectively, of anexemplary nose slab 210 (or tail slab 212) of the used sports board 200of FIG. 3 . FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate an exemplary lamination of pluralityof sports board nose slabs 210 and tail slabs 212 to form an exemplaryreclaimed block blank 240 in accordance with the present invention. FIG.5A is a cross-sectional view taken along a line corresponding to theorientation of line 5A-5A of FIG. 4A. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional viewtaken along a line corresponding to the orientation of line 5B-5B ofFIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along a linecorresponding to the orientation of line 5C-5C of FIG. 4A. It should beappreciated that reclaimed block blanks may be formed by laminating anycombination of slabs, or by including slabs in any lamination.

It should be noted, however, that FIGS. 5A-5C are for illustrativepurposes only, and that due to the nature of the materials of typicalsports boards, and that the applicant has found that reliable blockblanks cannot be formed satisfactorily from used sports boards by simplyspreading epoxy resin (or polyurethane glue, or any other suitableadhesive, hereinafter referred to collectively in non-limiting fashionas “adhesive”) between slabs and placing them in a press to cure, as maybe suitable for other materials having material properties differentfrom those of the materials used for the outer layers (base layer andtop sheet layer) of sports boards, which are not readily or reliablybondable to each other with conventional epoxies or other adhesivestypically used in the sports board industry, due to the materialproperties of those layers. Accordingly, the present invention includesperforming a surface preparation process prior to the lamination step totreat at least one outer surface of a reclaimed sports board slab priorto lamination into a reclaimed block blank.

Further, it should be noted that the discussion in the example abovedescribes creation of block blanks for insertion into finished boards bycutting each of a plurality of sports boards to form at least one slab,stacking the slabs in a first lamination direction (with a layer ofadhesive between adjacent slabs), and curing the adhesive to laminatethe slabs to form a block blank comprising a plurality of slabs (andlayers) bonded together in the first lamination direction. However, thisis exemplary only, and other steps for creation of the block blanks maybe employed. By way of alternative example, the block blanks may becreated by stacking composite sports boards with adhesive disposed inbetween, curing the adhesive to laminate the composite sports boards,and then cutting the plurality of composite sports boards bonded withcured adhesive to form the block blanks, such that the block blankscomprises a similar finished block blank with a similar plurality oflayers bonded together in the first lamination direction.

FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate an exemplary mechanical trenching surfacepreparation process for preparing reclaimed composite sports board slabsfor lamination to form an exemplary reclaimed block blank. In accordancewith the mechanical trenching surface preparation process, a reclaimedsports board slab, e.g. 210, 212, 214, 216, 218 is processed to formtrenches to mechanically disrupt the surface of the slab, to cut throughthe outer layers less susceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond,to expose inner layers of the slab that are more susceptible to forminga reliable adhesive bond, and to increase the overall surface areaavailable for adhesive bonding. The mechanical trenching may beperformed in any suitable manner. In the example of FIGS. 6A-6B, asawing mechanical trenching process is illustrated. In this process, aslab may be placed on a table 230 of a table saw or similar equipmentadjusted to expose at least one circular saw blade 232 above the table,to form a cut through the outer layer (base layer 38 and/or top sheet37) of the slab 210. In the example shown, a gang sawing arrangement isshown in which a plurality of circular saw blades 232 are supported in a(side-by-side) ganged arrangement. In such an arrangement, a single passof the slab beneath a feed wheel 234 and over the table 230 and gang ofsaw blades 232 forms a plurality of trenches 236 concurrently in thesurface of the slab 210, as will be appreciated from FIGS. 7A and 7B.

In some embodiments, it may be sufficient to cut through the outermostlayer only, in order to prepare the composite sports board material formaking a reliable adhesive bond. In other embodiments, it may benecessary or advisable to cut through more than just the outermostlayer, in order to prepare the composite sports board material formaking a reliable adhesive bond. For example, in the case of a compositesports board that has a clearcoat on top of the top sheet, it may besufficient for the cut/trench to penetrate through the clear coat andalso the top sheet material, to expose the fiberglass layer below. Inother embodiments, the cut/trench may extend through an outer layer,fiberglass layer and into a core material/layer.

Composite board construction and layer thickness may vary, especially ifdifferent used composite sports boards from different manufacturers areused to prepare slabs, block blanks and core inserts. Top sheet layersmay have a thickness of approximately 0.4 mm and fiberglass layers andbase material layers may have thicknesses of approximately 1 mm. It maybe desirable, e.g., when using a mechanical trenching process, to use arelatively deeper repeatable cut depth intended to cut through multiplelayers, regardless of the board's construction. Though trenchesextending through only a single material layer is shown for illustrativepurposes, it will be appreciated that the cut/trench may extend throughmultiple material layers. A cut depth of about 0.5 mm-1.5 mm may besuitable for this purpose.

In some cases, no cuts may be necessary in order to prepare thereclaimed sports board material for making a reliable adhesive bond. Forexample, a sports board made with a fiberglass layer as the top sheetmay just need to be sanded in order to achieve a reliable bond. Awakeboard may be built in this way, with the fiberglass layer being thetop and base, while a snowboard will almost exclusively have a baselayer made of polyethylene.

Additionally, old/used composite sports boards may have becomecontaminated and may be less susceptible to forming reliable adhesivebonds. Contamination may be from wax being used on the base of asnowboard (e.g., to improve the glide), stickers (containing adhesives)being applied to the surfaces of the boards, oils, and dirt/dust, etc.from use, wear and tear, and/or storage. In some cases, top sheets andbase materials are only treated for bonding on one side (the bondingside) by the raw material suppliers. This means that adhesives likeepoxy or PU will not form a reliable bond on the untreated surface evenif an underlying material might itself be susceptible to forming areliable bond.

It will be appreciated that any suitable mechanical trenching processand any suitable equipment may be used to form trenches 236 in slabsconsistent with the present invention. By way of alternative examples,one or more routers with slot-cutting or other router bits may be usedto form one or more trenches, angle griding cutting wheels, a planerwith slotted cutting blades, scrapers, heated blades, a low-pressurewaterjet, sand blasting, bead blasting, a rotary disc with aneccentrically-located cutter, etc. may be used. Other trenchingprocesses may also be used.

FIGS. 8A-8B are perspective and enlarged side views, respectively, of aplurality of exemplary prepared reclaimed sports board slabs 210 ofFIGS. 7A-7B, shown positioned abutted against one another to form anexemplary reclaimed block blank 240 in accordance with the presentinvention (adhesive between the slabs 210 and filling the trenches 236is omitted here for illustrative clarity).

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate an exemplary laser etching surface preparationprocess for preparing reclaimed sports board slabs for lamination toform an exemplary reclaimed block blank. In accordance with the laseretching surface preparation process, a reclaimed sports board slab, e.g.210, 212, 214, 216, 218 is processed to form trenches to mechanicaldisrupt the surface of the slab, to cut through the outer layers lesssusceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond, to expose inner layersof the slab that are more susceptible to forming a reliable adhesivebond, and to increase the overall surface area available for adhesivebonding. The laser etching may be performed in any suitable manner. Inthis exemplary laser etching process, a slab 210 may be placed on atable 230 of laser etching or similar equipment, with the laser poweradjusted to penetrate the outer layer (base layer 38 and/or top sheet37) of the slab 210 and form one or more trenches. In the example shownin FIG. 9B, it is illustrated that the trenches formed in this mannermay be non-linear, which may be advantageous in providing sufficientoverlap/matching of facing trenches 236 of adjacent slabs when trenchesin adjacent slab are not precisely aligned, e.g., due to mismatch,irregularities in size, or movement during lamination, as illustrated inFIG. 9C. A trench depth of about 0.5 mm-1.5 mm may be suitable for thispurpose.

It will be appreciated that any other surface preparation processes maybe used to prepare the slabs for lamination and suitable adhesivebonding. For example, a belt sanding or other sanding or grindingprocess, using conventional equipment, may be used to remove wax fromthe base or otherwise add irregular texture to the surfaces of the baselayer and top sheet layer to promote reliable adhesive bonding. As analternative example, a corona treatment process, using conventionalequipment, may be used to increase the surface energy of the surfaces ofthe base layer and top sheet to promote reliable adhesive bonding. Asanother alternative example, a flame treatment process, usingconventional equipment, may be used to remove oils/wax and promotereliable adhesive bonding. Alternatively, acid etching of the surfacesor sand blasting (especially if an aluminum skin has been used as a topsheet) may be used for this purpose.

In certain embodiments a combination of one or more of theabove-described surface preparation processes may be used to prepareslabs for adhesive-based lamination. For example, an exemplary surfacepreparation process may involve belt grinding each slab to removeresidual wax on the base layer, then passing the top sheet and baselayer of the slabs over a gang saw to create trenches on both sides, andthen flame treating the top sheet and base layer of each slab to removeany oils and contamination, prior to application of adhesive, betweenslabs, layering the slabs, and placing the adhesive-laden set of slabsin a press for application of heat and/or pressure to cure the assemblyinto a reclaimed block blank.

After the reclaimed slabs have been prepared using a suitable surfacepreparation process, the method involves joining multiplesurface-treated slabs together in a lamination process to form areclaimed block blank. This involves gathering together a plurality ofslabs in a stacked or abutting arrangement with a layer of adhesivespread between each pair of adjacent slabs. The assembly ofsurface-prepared slabs with adhesive therein is then cured in aconventional lamination process that fixes the layers together in alaminated structure. By way of example, a suitable conventionallamination process includes a compression process, in which the assemblyis typically placed in a press under elevated pressure and/ortemperature to cure the adhesive. Any suitable lamination process may beused, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. FIG. 10A is aperspective view of an exemplary reclaimed block blank 240 formed inaccordance with the present invention to include 6 reclaimed slabs fromused sports boards stacked in a vertical direction (as shown in FIG.10A) joined together by cured adhesive.

After multiple slabs have been joined together in a lamination processto form a reclaimed block blank, the method involves cutting thereclaimed block blank 240 to form a core panel 250. Although the cuttingmay be performed in any desired direction, the cutting is preferablyperformed in the same direction as the lamination, e.g., vertically inFIGS. 10A and 10B, so that the cut passes through multiple slabs of thereclaimed block blank 240, so that the core panel 250 is itself alamination of multiple portions (e.g., slabs 210) of the reclaimedmaterials. FIG. 10B is a perspective view of an exemplary reclaimed corepanel 250 formed in accordance with the present invention by cutting thecore panel 250 from the reclaimed block blank 240 of FIG. 10A. Thecutting may be performed in any suitable manner, e.g. via a band saw, atable saw, a reciprocating saw, a gang of reciprocating saw blades, awaterjet cutting machine, a router, etc. In this manner, it includesmaterial of different materials having different material properties(such as a wood core, biaxial and/or triaxial fiberglass and/or carbonfiber fabrics, etc.).

After the reclaimed block blank 240 has been cut to form a core panel250, the method involves cutting core inserts 260 from the core panel250. It should be noted that multiple core inserts can likely be cutfrom a single core panel 250. FIG. 11 is a top plan view of an exemplarycore panel 250, showing an example of how core inserts 260 may be laidout and cut from the core panel. In this example, the core inserts 260are laid out to be elongated in the same direction as the lamination ofthe layers of the core panel 260 (both vertically, as shown in FIG. 11). Core inserts 260 of various sizes, shapes, layout/orientation etc.may be obtained, as desired. The cutting may be performed in anysuitable manner, e.g., via a band saw, a CNC or other router, a tablesaw, a waterjet cutting machine, a laser cutting machine, ajigsaw/reciprocating saw, etc. As will be appreciated by those skilledin the art, the size and shape may be varied according to desiredplacement in the board core 300 and/or according to desired materialproperties, performance characteristics and/or visual appearances.

After the core inserts 260 have been cut from the core panel 250, themethod involves incorporating the core inserts into the sports board(e.g., core 300 in this example). FIG. 12 is a top plan view of anexemplary core 300 in accordance with the present invention. Inaccordance with the present invention, the core 300 includes coreinserts 260 having material properties different from that of aremainder of the core 300. In this example, the core inserts 260 aredisposed in the region of the bindings, outside of the binding insertregions, and between each binding insert region and an adjacent edge ofthe sports board, which is an area of the sports board in whichincreased stiffness is often desired, as it contributes to enhancedsports board performance by increasing power transmission from the riderto the edge of the sports board. Additionally, this arrangement cancreate a series of vertical composite ribs and perhaps end grain wood(if desired) which makes the core insert area very resistant to dentingand impact from the binding base plate. Of particular note, the verticallaminations of the fiberglass (and other layers) in the exemplary blockblank 240 (as shown in FIG. 10A) that produce the exemplary core panel250 and core insert 260 result in a particularly stiff core insert whenthe core insert 260 is incorporated into the core 300, with thelamination direction extending horizontally relative to the sportsboard/core 300 (and thus the individual layers of the core insertextending vertically), and with the lamination direction aligned withthe direction of elongation of the core 300 (as shown in FIG. 12 ). Inthis orientation, the core inserts 260, provide a stiffening effect(from the insert regions toward the edges) somewhat like that of anI-beam, delivering increased stiffness and resulting functionalperformance characteristics and strength, without the need for addingnew virgin materials to the new board.

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the core inserts 260may be laid out to be elongated in a direction transverse (e.g.,horizontally as shown in FIG. 11 ) to the direction of lamination of thelayers of the core panel 260 (e.g., vertically, as shown in FIG. 11 ).FIGS. 13A-13C are top plan and perspective views of an alternativeexemplary core 300 of a sports board. FIGS. 13A-13C show an alternativeexemplary incorporation of such core inserts 260 into a core 300. Aswill be noted from FIG. 13A-13C, the core inserts 260 are again orientedwith the lamination direction extending horizontally relative to thesports board/core 300 (and thus the individual layers of the core insertextending vertically), but in this case the lamination direction extendstransversely to the direction of elongation of the core 300. In thisorientation, the core inserts 260, provide a stiffening effect, therebyincreasing the liveliness and dynamic response of the board in the noseand providing impact resistance and durability under the binding area ofthe rear inserts.

FIGS. 14A-14C are top plan, bottom plan, and cross-sectional views,respectively, of another alternative exemplary core 300 of a sportsboard including core inserts 260. In this embodiment, it is illustratedthat the core panel 250 and core inserts 260 may be formed so that theywill have a thickness (core panel 250) or height (core insert 260) thatis the same as the height of the core 300 (or adjacent portion of thecore 300). In such an embodiment, the core insert 260 may extend throughthe entire thickness of the core 300 as a full-depth core insert, aswill be best appreciated from FIG. 14C. This arrangement may providecertain advantages in terms of stiffness, performance, etc. but alsoprovide an additional advantage in that the core inserts 260 may be laidup with and among/between individual stringers of the core, as istypical of core construction. Accordingly, less stringer length (andtherefore less virgin materials) may be used in the wood core, becauseof the volume occupied by the core inserts 260 within the core 300. Inother embodiments, stringers may be laid up and bonded to form acomplete core and then the core may be cut, milled, etc. to produceopenings for receiving the core inserts 260. This may result in somewaste of virgin materials (which may themselves be recycled) but alsomay result in reuse of reclaimed sports board materials to prevent themfrom accumulation in the environment as waste.

FIGS. 15A-15D are top plan, bottom plan, and cross-sectional views,respectively, of yet another alternative exemplary core 300 includingcore inserts 260. In this embodiment, it is illustrated that the corepanel 250 and core inserts 260 may be formed so that they will have athickness (core panel 250) or height (core insert 260) that is less thanheight of the core 300 (or adjacent portion of the core 300). In such anembodiment, the core insert 260 may not extend through the entirethickness of the core 300, but rather may extend only partially throughthe thickness as a partial-depth core insert, as will be bestappreciated from FIG. 15C (inserts added to pockets open to the bottomsurface of the core 300) and FIG. 15D (inserts added to pockets open tothe top surface of the core 300). This arrangement may provide certainadvantages in terms of stiffness, performance, etc. but also provides anadditional advantage in that the core inserts 260 may be laid up withindividual stringers of the core, as is typical of core construction,provided that stringers are provided with regions of reduced height inlocations of the desired core inserts, to define pockets 310 forreceiving those inserts 260. Accordingly, less stringer volume (andtherefore less virgin materials) may be used in the core 300, because ofthe volume occupied by the core inserts 260 within the core 300 thatwould otherwise be occupied by stringers. In other embodiments,stringers may be laid up and bonded to form a complete core and then thecore may be cut, milled, etc. to produce pockets 310 for receiving thecore inserts 260. This may result in some waste of virgin materials(which may themselves be recycled) but also may results in reuse ofreclaimed sports board materials to prevent them from accumulation inthe environmental as waste.

The core inserts 260 may be incorporated into the sports board byapplying epoxy, polyurethane glue or other adhesive to the core insertsand/or the associated portion of the sports board (e.g., core panel)during layup and assembly, for curing as part of the finished core orfinished sports board, as discussed in greater detail below.

It should be noted that the core is well-suited for receiving the coreinserts, as described in the example above, but that in otherembodiments, the core inserts may be inserted in other layers, or mayspan not only the core layer but also other layers, in accordance withthe present invention. Additionally, it should be noted that coreinserts may be formed from materials other than used sports boards inaccordance with the present invention. Further, it should be noted thatcore blocks may be formed of any desired materials, in any desiredorientation, core panels may be cut in any desired orientation, and coreinserts may be incorporated into the sports board in any desiredorientation, to provide any desired material property, performancecharacteristic, or visual appearance effect, in accordance with thepresent invention.

Additionally, examples of core insert use in sports boards isillustrated in FIGS. 18A-20B, in the context of a core 300 layer forillustrative purposes. Additionally, it should be appreciated that thecore inserts 300 may be provided oriented with any suitable laminationdirection relative to the core/layer, and as either full-depth orpartial-depth inserts, as discussed above. Further, it should beappreciated that the core inserts may be constructed of reclaimedmaterials or virgin materials (or a combination thereof), and that fewerthan all of the steps described herein may be used for manufacture of asports board in accordance with the present invention, e.g., some stepsof the exemplary method for creating a reliable bond with reclaimedmaterials may not be required when virgin materials are used. Generally,these examples illustrate that the core inserts 260 may be positioned inany desired location relative to a sports board layer (e.g., core 300)to provide any desired aesthetic, functionality and/or performanceeffect.

FIGS. 18A-18L are top plan views of alternative exemplary cores 300constructed to include core inserts 260 in accordance with alternativeexemplary embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIGS.18A-18L, the core inserts 260 are positioned internally to edges of thecore 300, e.g., by placement into suitable pockets defined internally tothe edges of the core 300, or by layup among stringers in positionsinternal to the edges of the core 300.

FIGS. 19A-19F are top plan views of alternative exemplary cores 300constructed to include core inserts 260 in accordance with alternativeexemplary embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIGS.19A-19F, the core inserts 260 are positioned to extend to at least oneedge of the core 300, e.g., by placement into suitable pockets definedto be open to an edge of the core 300, or by layup of the core inserts260 among stringers during the fabrication of the core 300.

FIGS. 20A-20D are top plan views of alternative exemplary cores 300constructed to include core inserts 260 extending fully between oppositeedges of a core 300 (either transversely to a direction of elongation ofthe core 300, as shown in FIGS. 20A-20C, or in the longitudinaldirection of elongation of the core 300, as shown in FIG. 20D), inaccordance with alternative exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. By way of example, this may be achieved by layup of the coreinserts 260 among stringers during the fabrication of the core 300.

FIGS. 21A and 21B are top plan views of alternative exemplary cores 300constructed to include one or more core inserts forming an entire core,in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. By way of example, this may be achieved by layup of the coreinserts 260 without stringers during the fabrication of the core 300.Accordingly, the term “insert” is used in non-limiting fashion, as thepresent invention provides for fabrication of an entire core (or otherlayer) from core inserts.

In keeping with the foregoing example, FIG. 16 is an explodedperspective view of a partial portion of the component elements of theexemplary snowboard 100, including a core 300 including core inserts260, shown in relation to exemplary assembly tooling 150 formanufacturing a snowboard assembly 90, which is post-molding,pre-finishing version of the snowboard 100. The assembly tooling 150 maybe generally similar to conventional molding tooling, in that it mayinclude a first/base portion 160 (cassette trap), and a second/coverportion 170 (cassette lid). As known in the art, the first/base portion160 of the final assembly tooling 150 may be formed of metal, and may begenerally sheet-like but may define a central cavity 162 having a bottomsurface 164 dimensioned and shaped to form a snowboard assembly in adesired fashion. In the example of FIG. 16 , the first/base portion 160has a cavity 162 defined by a bottom surface 164 and sidewalls 166spaced to correspond to the width of base sub-assembly (or the baselayer 38 and edge members 40). Further, the exemplary bottom surface 164is flat, but that in other embodiments, the bottom surface may benon-flat, e.g., concave or convex or otherwise non-flat, e.g., toprovide a flat, camber, rocker or hybrid profile, etc.

As known in the art, the second/cover portion 170 may be formed ofmetal, and may be generally sheet-like. The second cover/portion 170 hasa structure and surface configured adapted to produce a final/curedsnowboard assembly having a desired configuration. The secondcover/portion 170 may (or may not) define a central boss 172 dimensionedand shaped identically or complementarily (e.g., to allow for shaping,varying application of pressure, for pressure relief, or other purposes)to allow to the cavity 162 of the first/base portion 160, to form thefinal snowboard assembly 90 in the desired fashion.

As will be appreciated from FIG. 16 , the snowboard 100 in accordancewith the present invention includes multiple components/layers typicallyincluded in a conventional finished snowboard product, such as the baselayer 38, bonding foil 42, edges 40, bottom reinforcement layer 34 (suchas a fiberglass fabric or carbon fiber mat that is coated with adhesivethen cured during formation of the final snowboard assembly), core 300,top reinforcement layer (such as a fiberglass fabric or carbon fiber matthat is coated with adhesive then cured during formation of the finalsnowboard assembly) and top sheet 37.

In this exemplary embodiment, as in conventional snowboard construction,the base layer 38 is first placed in the first/base portion 160 of themold/cassette 160. This may involve first fitting the edge elements 40to the sides of a sheet of polyethylene or other material intend to actas the base layer 38 of the finished snowboard, e.g., with the flange 40a of the edge members 40 overlying a portion of the peripheral edge ofthe base layer 38. The flange 40 a provides mechanical attachment forthe adhesive and fiberglass/other layer to grip onto and keep the edgeattached to the pressed and cured base layer 38. The base layer 38 andedge members 40 are positioned within the cavity 162 of the first/baseportion 160 of the tooling, with the edge members 40 abutting or inadjacent relationship with the sidewalls 166 of the first/base portion160.

In this example, adhesive is then applied to the upper/top surface ofthe base layer 38 and edge members 40. Optionally, the bonding foil 42is then applied over the members 40 (e.g., their flanges 40 a) and theupper surface of the base layer 38.

The lower reinforcing layer 34 is also coated with adhesive. The lowerreinforcing layer 34 is placed in the mold cassette 160 over the baselayer 38, edge members 40, and foils 42.

Adhesive is then applied to coat and wet out the lower reinforcing layer34. If desired, metal inserts, such as threaded metal inserts 50 may beinserted into corresponding openings defined in a core 300, e.g., forservice as attachment points for shoe/boot bindings of the like, asshown in FIG. 16 . Optionally, the core 300 may be prepared to joinsidewalls 24 as part of the core prior to placement in the finalassembly tooling. Alternatively, discrete sidewalls 24 may be insertedalongside the core 300 in the assembly tooling 150 (with appropriateapplication of adhesive), and may be joined to the core 300 and the restof the layers during manufacture of the snowboard assembly 90, as willbe appreciated by those skilled in the art.

If the core inserts 260 have not already been incorporated into to thecore 300 as part of pre-assembly of the core 300, then the core inserts260 may be added to the core 300 at this stage (either on the bottomside of the core, top side of the core, or through the entire thicknessof the core, as appropriate), with adhesive applied to the openings inthe core 300 and/or core inserts 260.

A bottom side 33 of the core 300 may then be wet/coated with adhesive,and the core 300 may be placed into the first/base portion 160 of thetooling 150, with the bottom side 33 positioned on the atop the bottomreinforcement layer 34.

Next, a top side 35 of the core 300 may be wet/coated with adhesive, andthen the top reinforcement layer 32 is laid over the adhesive and core300, preferably covering and overhanging the entire core 300.Accordingly, the top reinforcement layer 32 spans the cavity 162 of thefirst/base portion 160 of the tooling 150, and preferably extends beyondthe cavity 162. Adhesive is then applied to coat and wet out the topreinforcement layer 32.

Next, the top sheet 37 is positioned to overlie the adhesive and topreinforcement layer 32, and then the second/cover portion 170 of thetooling 150 is mated to the first/base portion 160. This may or may notinvolve aligning a central boss of the second/cover portion 170 with thecavity 162 of the first/base portion 160 of the final assembly tooling150. Optionally, the first and second portions 160, 170 may be tapedtogether or otherwise be secured relative to one another. FIG. 17 is across-sectional view, showing the final assembly tooling 150 in a closedposition, with the component elements of the final snowboard assembly 90positioned within the final assembly tooling 150, between the first/baseportion 160 and the second/cover portion 170.

The snowboard assembly 90, thus prepared, may then be molded in aconventional molding process for a suitable dwell time to allow theadhesive to cure, e.g., by placement of the entire molding tooling 150thus prepared in a conventional press under elevated temperature andpressure in a conventional compression molding process.

Registration holes and pins may be used to promote proper alignment ofthe core 300, top sheet 37 and other layers, as known in the art, e.g.,so that the edges 40 are properly positioned to be used as a guide for aband saw during trimming of the final pressed snowboard assembly.Additional layers of the fiberglass mat, etc. may be applied over theregistration pins/sockets, or elsewhere, if additional strength isdesired in these areas.

After the snowboard assembly 90 has been suitably cured, the snowboardassembly 90 may be removed from the assembly tooling 150. The snowboardassembly 90 may then be trimmed, e.g., using a band saw and followingthe edge members 40 and/or a by a CNC milling/routing machine, followinga specific trimming/shape outline path, as appropriate, to form thefinished snowboard 100. Additional conventional steps may also beperformed at this time, such as sanding the snowboard around itsperimeter, drilling/opening all inserts, cutting a sidewall angle, applyedge sealer, apply sidewall print graphics if desired, finishing thebottom surface to a desired surface consistency or shape, applying waxto the bottom surface 39 of the base layer 38, etc., to form thefinished snowboard 100.

As mentioned above, the examples are provided herein for illustrativeand non-limiting purposes only. By way of example, it should beappreciated that although the drawings illustrate an exemplary sandwichconstruction, in which full layers generally overlap other full layersof material, the present invention also encompasses other constructions,such as cap and semi-cap constructions in which one or more layers mayoverlie and surround the peripheral edges of one or more other layers.

While there have been described herein the principles of the invention,it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this descriptionis made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims, tocover all modifications of the invention which fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for making a layer of a multi-layer composite sports board, the method comprising the steps of: gathering a plurality of composite sports boards, each composite sports board comprising a plurality of bonded layers bonded together in a first lamination direction; creating a block blank comprising a plurality of slabs bonded together in the first lamination direction, each slab of said plurality of slabs comprising the plurality of layers bonded together in the first lamination direction, said plurality of slabs being stacked in the first lamination direction with a respective layer of adhesive disposed between each pair of adjacent ones of said plurality of slabs; cutting said block blank in a direction crossing at least two of said plurality of bonded layers of at least one slab, to form a core panel; cutting said core panel to form at least one core insert having a top surface and a bottom surface, laminated layers of said core panel extending from said top surface to said bottom surface; assembling a plurality of layers stacked in a second lamination direction with adhesive disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of layers, at least one of said plurality of layers comprising said at least one core insert; and curing said adhesive to fix together said at least one core insert and said plurality of layers to form a composite sports board assembly.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating said block blank comprising said plurality of slabs comprises: stacking said plurality of composite sports boards in the direction of the first lamination direction, with the respective layer of adhesive disposed between each pair of adjacent ones of said plurality of composite sports boards; curing said adhesive to laminate said plurality of composite sports boards; and cutting said plurality of composite sports boards bonded with cured adhesive to form said block blank comprising said plurality of slabs bonded together in the first lamination direction.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating said block blank comprising said plurality of slabs comprises: cutting each of said plurality of sports boards to form at least one said slab; stacking said plurality of slabs in the direction of the first lamination direction, with the respective layer of adhesive disposed between each pair of adjacent ones of said plurality of slabs; and curing said adhesive to laminate said plurality of slabs to form said block blank comprising said plurality of slabs bonded together in the first lamination direction.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising finishing said composite sports board assembly to form a composite sports board.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said cutting said block blank in a direction crossing at least two of said plurality of bonded layers of said at least one slab comprises cutting said block blank in the first lamination direction.
 6. The method of claim 1, said assembling said plurality of layers stacked in the first lamination direction with adhesive disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of layers comprises: cutting at least one pocket in a core layer of said composite sports board; and positioning each of said at least one core insert in a respective one of each of said at least one pocket.
 7. The method of claim 1, said assembling said plurality of layers stacked in the first lamination direction with adhesive disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of layers comprises: laying up said at least one core insert among a plurality of stringers abutting said at least one core insert; and forming a core layer of said composite sports board by curing adhesive to fix together said at least one core insert and said plurality of stringers.
 8. The method of claim 1, said assembling said plurality of layers stacked in the first lamination direction with adhesive disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of layers comprises: orienting said at least one core insert with said first lamination direction of said at least one core insert extending transversely to said second lamination direction.
 9. The method of claim 8, said assembling said plurality of layers stacked in the first lamination direction with adhesive disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of layers comprises: orienting said at least one core insert with said first lamination direction of said at least one core insert extending orthogonally to said second lamination direction.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said gathering said plurality of composite sports boards comprises: gathering used composite sports boards; and removing edges from each composite sports board.
 11. The method of claim 3, wherein said creating said block blank comprises: performing a surface preparation process on at least one outer layer of each of one of said plurality of slabs and said plurality of composite sports boards to prepare said at least one outer layer to form an improved adhesive bond in an adhesive bonding step.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said performing said surface preparation process comprises: performing a mechanical trenching surface preparation process to form a plurality of trenches mechanically disrupting a surface of said at least one outer layer or each of said plurality of slabs, each trench extending through said at least one outer layer to expose an inner layer susceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said performing said mechanical trenching surface preparation process comprises contacting said surface of each of said plurality of slabs with at least one circular saw blade.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said performing said mechanical trenching surface preparation process comprises contacting said surface of each of said plurality of slabs with at least one of a router bit, angle grinding cutting wheel, a planer blade, a scraper, a heated blades, a low-pressure waterjet, a sand blasting stream, a bead blasting stream, and a cutting head.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one trench of said plurality of trenches extends non-linearly along said at least one outer layer.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein said performing said surface preparation process comprises: performing a laser etching trenching surface preparation process to form a plurality of trenches mechanically disrupting a surface of said at least one outer layer or each of said plurality of slabs, each trench extending through said at least one outer layer to expose an inner layer susceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said performing said laser etching surface preparation process comprises directing laser output onto said surface of each of said plurality of slabs with a power of said laser output adjusted to penetrate said at least one outer layer.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein directing laser output onto said surface of each of said plurality of slabs comprises directing said laser output to form non-linear trenches.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein said performing said surface preparation process comprises performing at least one process selected from a group consisting of sanding, sand blasting, grinding, corona treatment, flame treatment, and acid etching.
 20. A core for a sports board, the core layer comprising: a core body dimensioned for incorporation as a layer of a multi-layer sports board formed by lamination of multiple layers in a first lamination direction; and at least one core insert bonded by adhesive to said core body, said at least one core insert comprising multiple layers joined by lamination in a second lamination direction transverse to said first lamination direction.
 21. The core of claim 20, wherein said at least one core insert comprises at least one layer having a surface that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 22. The core of claim 20, wherein said at least one layer is constructed of a material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, ABS/TPU, and polyamide.
 23. The core of claim 20, wherein said core body comprises a plurality of stringers, and wherein said stringer abut said at least one core insert.
 24. The core of claim 20, wherein said core body defines at least one pocket, and wherein each of said at least one core insert is disposed in a respective pocket.
 25. The core of claim 24, wherein said at least one pocket extends fully through a thickness of said core body.
 26. The core of claim 24, wherein said at least one pocket extends partially through a thickness of said core body.
 27. The core of claim 24, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said at least one pocket is disposed internally to said edges.
 28. The core of claim 24, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said at least one pocket extends to at least one of said edges.
 29. The core of claim 24, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said core body is discontinuous between at one of said pairs of edges, and wherein said at least one core insert extends fully between another of said pairs of edges.
 30. The core of claim 20, wherein said at least one core insert comprises a lamination of a plurality of multi-layer slabs, each of said slabs comprising a section of a used sports board, at least one layer of each slab having a surface that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 31. The core of claim 30, wherein said at least one layer of each slab is constructed of a material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, ABS/TPU, and polyamide.
 32. The core of claim 30, wherein said plurality of multi-layer slabs are joined in said lamination by adhesive, at least one of said plurality of multi-layer slabs defining at least one trench mechanically disrupting a surface of said at least one layer formed of said material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond, said at least one trench extending through said at least one layer formed of said material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond to expose an inner layer susceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond.
 33. The core of claim 32, where said at least one trench extends non-linearly along said at least one layer formed of said material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 34. The core of claim 30, wherein said plurality of multi-layer slabs are joined in said lamination by adhesive, at least one of said plurality of multi-layer slabs having been processed by laser etching to for at least one trench penetrating said at least one layer formed of said material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond to expose an inner layer susceptible to forming a reliable adhesive bond.
 35. The core of claim 34, where said at least one trench extends non-linearly along said at least one layer formed of said material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 36. The core of claim 30, wherein said at least one core insert comprises said lamination of said plurality of multi-layer slabs, wherein each surface that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond has been prepared for adhesive bonding by a surface preparation process comprising performing at least one process selected from a group consisting of sanding, sand blasting, grinding, corona treatment, flame treatment, and acid etching.
 37. A core for a sports board, the core comprising: a core body dimensioned for incorporation as a layer of a multi-layer sports board formed by lamination of multiple layers in a first lamination direction, said core body being formed exclusively by at least one core insert that comprises multiple layers joined by lamination in a second lamination direction transverse to said first lamination direction.
 38. The core of claim 37, wherein said at least one core insert comprises at least one layer of a material that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 39. The core of claim 37, wherein said material is selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, ABS/TPU, and polyamide.
 40. A sports board comprising: a base layer having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a peripheral edge extending therebetween, said base layer being elongated in a longitudinal direction; at least one edge member joined to said base layer and positioned along at least a portion of said peripheral edge of said base layer; a lower reinforcement layer joined to overlie said top surface of said base layer and said at least one edge member layer; a core joined to overlie said lower reinforcement layer, said core comprising: a core body dimensioned for incorporation as a layer of a multi-layer sports board formed by lamination of multiple layers in a first lamination direction; and at least one core insert bonded by adhesive to said core body, said at least one core insert comprising multiple layers joined by lamination in a second lamination direction transverse to said first lamination direction.
 41. The sports board of claim 40, wherein said at least one core insert comprises at least one layer having a surface that is not susceptible to forming a strong adhesive bond.
 42. The sports board of claim 40, wherein said at least one layer is constructed of a material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene, ABS/TPU, and polyamide.
 43. The sports board of claim 40, wherein said core body comprises a plurality of stringers, and wherein said stringer abut said at least one core insert.
 44. The sports board of claim 40, wherein said core body defines at least one pocket, and wherein each of said at least one core insert is disposed in a respective pocket.
 45. The sports board of claim 44, wherein said at least one pocket extends fully through a thickness of said core body.
 46. The sports board of claim 44, wherein said at least one pocket extends partially through a thickness of said core body.
 47. The sports board of claim 44, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said at least one pocket is disposed internally to said edges.
 48. The sports board of claim 44, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said at least one pocket extends to at least one of said edges.
 49. The sports board of claim 44, wherein said core body has a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending edges, and a pair of opposed transversely-extending edges, and wherein said core body is discontinuous between at one of said pairs of edges, and wherein said at least one core insert extends fully between another of said pairs of edges. 